FCBARCELONA.CAT

24.07.2008 18:38

The club ratifies its arguments

www.fcbarcelona.cat

FC Barcelona has ratified its arguments by which it considers that it has no obligation to allow player Leo Messi to play for Argentina at the Beijing Olympics.

This Thursday, FC Barcelona has been notified, through the Spanish Football Federation, in circular number 1.153 issued by FIFA, that its president Joseph S. Blatter, had reiterated the obligation of clubs to release their players that are aged under 23 years to play in the Olympic Games, on the basis its customary law.

In response to this announcement, FC Barcelona has ratified the content of its previous communications, in the sense that the current FIFA regulations do not oblige clubs to release their players. Moreover, the club has reiterated its proposal to come to a consensus, which was rejected at the time by the Argentinian Football Association (AFA).

It is to be noted that the European Clubs Association (ECA) and the Spanish Professional Football League (LFP) have supported FC Barcelona’s stance on this issue.